CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: STRONG

Betty walked closer to the black pavilion, its ominous yet majestic presence sending chills down her spine. She glanced at Calista, hoping for answers.

"Calista, what is this? I’m sure this place wasn’t here before."

The tiny phoenix swooped down gracefully and perched on Betty’s shoulder, her eyes gleaming with pride.

"Master, this is the Experience Pavilion. With this, you can become very, very strong, don’t worry, it’s one of many space features."

Betty raised an eyebrow and plucked Calista gently into her hands, giving her a soft pat on the head.

"So, the space also has other features, huh, and can this tower unlock superpowers?" she asked with curiosity.

Calista looked up at her, then closed her eyes despite her words.

"Hey, don’t pat my head..."

Betty smirked, noticing how the little phoenix melted into her touch even while protesting.

’What a tsundere.’

With a satisfied chirp, Calista finally opened her eyes and declared,

"Nope, it cannot unlock your superpowers."

Betty’s lips twitched in disbelief.

"Then why were you telling me so proudly like it could?"

Calista’s wings flapped furiously against Betty’s hand, clearly irritated.

"What do you mean, ’why proudly’? Of course I’ll say it proudly! With this pavilion, you’ll gain experience from every kill and become strong! But... there is a downside..."

Her eyes turned pleading, like a child caught doing something naughty.

Betty blinked, her brow furrowing. "Why are you looking at me like that? What’s the downside? Care to explain?"

Calista coughed awkwardly, turning her head away and avoiding eye contact.

"Well... the downside is... once the pavilion is activated... you can’t gain superpowers anymore."

"Cough—Ahhh! Master! Mummy, help—!"

Calista yelped as Betty, trembling with irritation, began squeezing her in one hand like a stress ball.

"What do you mean I can’t unlock powers? That’s the main fighting power! Are you telling me this thing will stop me from becoming stronger?!"

Struggling out of her grip, Calista fluttered in the air, her feathers ruffled, panting.

"No, no! It’s for your own good! That power, when inside the host core, is impure! It will only mess up your foundation. The pavilion helps you grow cleanly, naturally. You’ll be stronger in the long run!"

Betty narrowed her eyes, folding her arms. "So I give up the fastest way to level up... for some long, slow natural way? Hah, what is this, cultivation?"

Calista grinned sheepishly. "Pretty much, but it is not slow; it is faster than the core way."

Betty groaned, dragging her feet as she stepped into the pavilion. Inside, the massive exterior gave way to... a single counter and a few shelves filled with dusty books.

Betty’s eyebrow twitched. She shot Calista a suspicious look.

Calista flustered, flapping her wings rapidly. "W-Why are you looking at me like I’m lying? I’m telling the truth!"

Betty crossed her arms, scanning the empty room. "Seriously, what’s wrong with the engineer’s brain when they designed this? The tiny cabin outside is as big as a palace inside, and this gigantic structure has only one room?"

Calista puffed her chest, but her voice cracked as she tried to explain, "T-There’s more! You just have to—uh—explore it later! Yeah, later!"

Betty sighed, waving her hand dismissively. "Forget it. I’ll check it out some other time. I’m going to see Sophia."

Calista’s eyes widened, her wings twitching as if she wanted to stop her, but Betty was already walking out of the pavilion.’Great! Can’t she at least check what’s inside first?’ Calista muttered in frustration, following her.

As soon as Betty entered her cabin, a smile tugged at her lips. Sophia was jumping around the room, her little feet pattering against the floor.

Walking over, Betty gently patted her daughter’s head.

"What are you doing, dear?"

Sophia turned around, her face lighting up the moment she saw her. She quickly ran over and hugged Betty’s legs tightly.

"Mommy, I’m so bored here! Let me go outside with you, you promised me!"

Betty sighed, but the seriousness in her eyes softened. She scooped Sophia into her arms, tucking a strand of hair behind her daughter’s ear.

"Okay, dear. But promise me—you won’t run off anywhere and will stay right beside me, understand?"

Sophia’s face bloomed with joy as she nodded eagerly. "I promise, Mommy!"

"Okay then, let’s go."

The two vanished from the pavilion in a flash. Calista, left behind, perched on the window ledge with an irritated pout, her tiny wings twitching.

"Hmph, that little demon didn’t even say goodbye. Tch, not like I care anyway," she muttered, glaring at the empty space they had left behind.

Outside, Sophia’s wide eyes took in the dark, misty atmosphere. The cold air carried the distant groans of wandering zombies. Her expression remained blank as her gaze scanned the surroundings, but when her eyes landed on a zombie dragging itself with a missing arm, terror finally broke through. She clutched Betty’s neck so tightly that her small hands trembled.

Betty’s heart clenched at the sight of her daughter’s pale, frightened face. Patting Sophia’s back gently, she whispered soothingly, "Dear, it can’t hurt you. Don’t worry, we’ll leave soon."

She didn’t even bother killing the useless zombie that lacked a core. Instead, she quickly secured Sophia in the passenger seat.

As Betty started the car and her hand moved to the gear, her gaze shifted—her eyes narrowed. Sophia’s tiny fingers were gripping the car door tightly, but it wasn’t her hand that shocked Betty.

It was the metal beneath her daughter’s grip—deeply dented, as if it had been squeezed by some giant’s hand.

’W-what’s going on... when did Sophia become this strong?’

Betty’s voice cracked as she called out softly,"Sophia..."

Sophia turned her head toward her, blinking with wide, innocent eyes.

Betty scratched the back of her head awkwardly, feeling a mix of worry and confusion under that pure gaze."Uhm... can you tell me what happened in the space? When did you become this strong?"

Sophia tilted her head, thinking for a moment, then her face brightened as if she remembered something exciting."Oh! You mean my strength? That’s because I fell into some pond, and since then, I’ve been this strong!"

She puffed out her chest proudly while saying it.

Betty’s face drained of all color. Her lips trembled as she asked in a shaky voice,"D-did it hurt when you went into that pond?"